Kiwis Optimistic Of Strong World Para Challenge In Paris

A highly experienced and quality seven-strong New Zealand team will be looking to make their mark at the Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships at the Stade Charlety from 8-17 July.

All five Kiwi medallists from the Tokyo Paralympics – the most recent global Para championship event following the postponement of the 2022 Kobe Para Athletics World Championships – will spearhead a team optimistic of a good showing in the French capital.

Leading the way will be Paralympic javelin F46 champion Holly Robinson, who makes history as the first Kiwi to compete at six Para Athletics World Championships.

Making her debut appearance at the 2011 Para Athletics World Championships in Christchurch aged just 16, the Dunedin-based thrower has gone on to carve out an outstanding career over the past 12 years winning three Para World silver and one bronze medal in javelin.

The 28-year-old thrower underwent elbow surgery in January and only recently returned to throwing the javelin but offered hope of a competitive showing in her favoured event after an encouraging 36.89m in Townsville last month. Robinson is also entered in a World Championship shot put for the first time since 2011.

Besides Robinson, New Zealand’s two other Tokyo Paralympic champions will also be in action in the French capital. Anna Grimaldi competes at her fourth Para Athletics World Championships having made her debut back in Doha in 2015. Dunedin-based Grimaldi is a two-time Paralympic long jump T47 champion but will be seeking for first World Championship gold medal in her favoured event having won bronze in 2015 and silver in 2019. Ranked number two in the world in the long jump T47, the Kiwi also competes in the women’s 100m T47 in Paris, where she enters with a world ranking of number nine.

World number one Lisa Adams will also aim to maintain her perfect record in the shot put F37 on the global stage as the 32-year-old Rotorua-based athlete aims to defend the world title she claimed in convincing fashion in Dubai four years ago.

Adams, who is coached by sister Dame Valerie Adams, also snared the Tokyo Paralympic title and with a season’s best of 15.19m she leads the world rankings by more than two metres.

Further bolstering the New Zealand team is sprinter Danielle Aitchison who burst on to the global stage at the last edition of the Para Athletics World Championships in Dubai when taking 200m T36 silver.

The 21-year-old Hamilton-based athlete later took 200m T36 silver and 100m T36 bronze in Tokyo and is in great shape after setting a national 100m T36 record of 13.81 and equalling he national 200m T36 record of 28.98 in Townsville last month.

Will Stedman has been a consistent accumulator of medals on the global stage over the past seven years and the four-time Paralympic medallist – who claimed long jump T36 silver and 400m T36 bronze in Tokyo - will look to harvest more podiums in Paris.

Making his fourth Para Athletics World Championship appearance, the Christchurch-based athlete won 800m T36 silver at the 2017 edition and 400m T36 bronze in 2019.

Stedman is entered in both the long jump T36, where he is ranked fifth in the world, and the 400m T36 – where he sits second in the global lists for 2023.

Auckland-based Mitch Joynt, 28, makes his return to the Para Athletics World Championships four years after placing eighth in the 200m T64 final. The amputee athlete set an Oceania 200m T64 record of 23.36 at the 2023 Jennian Homes New Zealand Track & Field Championships in Wellington in March and is entered in the 200m T64.

The lone debutant on the New Zealand team is Joe Smith, 25, who competes in the men’s 100m T37. The Auckland-based athlete and training partner to Joynt will take on the challenge with relish as he makes his maiden appearance at the Para Athletics World Championships.

Holly Robinson said: “It doesn’t seem that long ago since I made my World Championship debut as a 16-year-old in Christchurch. I’m proud to be making what is a record-breaking sixth Para Athletics World Championships appearance and I am looking forward to being a part of a very experienced and high-class team who I know will perform with pride for New Zealand.”

New Zealand Para Athletics debutant Joe Smith said: “It means the world to be selected. It makes all the sacrifices worthwhile. The New Zealand team is of world class calibre. To be the seventh member I hope to make great connections with people and soak up as much information I can with the longer-term goal to come back to Paris next year and compete at the Paralympic Games.”

New Zealand Team leader Raylene Bates said: “I’m very excited for the forthcoming World Champs after a four-year hiatus due to Covid. “Our athletes have shown some really promising results in warm up meets to date which indicates they should be capable of some outstanding performances.”

***All the action is live on TVNZ+. 
8-17 July. Day session, 7pm – 10pm NZT. Night session, 4am – 7am NZT.

***Find out more about the team and a full schedule of when the Kiwis are competing here

***Full results updates can be seen

here

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